A'ja Wilson becomes 1st 4-time winner of WNBA's MVP award

Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sep 21, 2025

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LAS VEGAS — Aces star A’ja Wilson won the WNBA MVP on Sunday, making her the first player in league history to win the award four times.

Wilson became emotional as she relished her accomplishment during a morning news conference before the Aces’ 89-73 loss to the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinal series at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“It’s truly a blessing to be able to be where I am,” she said. “I don’t think I could ever put into words how special this moment is. … I was a young girl that didn’t even like the sport. I didn’t want to play it. I don’t like to sweat. But now my name’s in the history books forever.”

Wilson, 29, received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel after she led the Aces to the No. 2 seed for the playoffs with league-leading averages of 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534 points) finished second, followed by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).

Wilson also won the award in 2020, 2022 and 2024. The only other three-time winners were Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.

As Wilson led the Aces to a 16-game win streak to close the regular season and elevate them from the eighth to the No. 2 seed, coach Becky Hammon was vocal that Wilson’s MVP case deserved to be respected.

“This is the result of all the work that you don’t get to see,” Hammon said. “She’s just a tireless worker. (Look) where she took us this year from where we were.

“She has led tremendously through some really rough waters, and I just felt like the narrative at the beginning wasn’t fair. That’s why I was vocal.”

Wilson was presented the award at the Aces’ practice facility Friday by her boyfriend, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was also there to honor the occasion, along with Wilson’s parents, Roscoe Wilson and Eva Rakes Wilson, her teammates and team owner Mark Davis.

Wilson closed her Sunday news conference in tears when expressing gratitude for her parents, then emphasized that she’s ready to shift her focus back to postseason success.

“It’s business as usual,” Wilson said. “My phone’s buzzing a little bit more. But other than that, my main goal is exactly what we need to do today — to get a win against a really good Indiana Fever team.”

The Aces didn’t get that win and lost home-court advantage in the series. Wilson struggled with her shooting, hitting 6 of 22 field goals while scoring 16 points. She did have a game-high 13 rebounds and four blocks.

The 6-foot-4-inch center’s MVP award came after she was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year with Lynx forward Alanna Smith on Thursday. Wilson also won that award in 2022 and 2023.

“She’s elite physically, with elite work ethic and elite skill,” Hammon said. “She’s the biggest, baddest athlete out there.”

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